Post your Wildlife pictures.

**Hilary** · 06-10-2022 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by DarkestDarkness

Holy moly a 30lb potato, I'd almost give anything to have some of that and grow it myself! (I can't escape my love of potatoes)

Actually, other sources say it can reach up to 100 lbs. Although that's probably rare. And apparently taste just like Idaho potatoes.

Can't plant them here in South Florida. They are considered invasive, but they aren't really that bad. The bad one is the other one, Dioscorea bulbifera (the Air Potato). It literally grows everywhere, and is poisonous. They often grow right next to each other, even intertwining. So that's the problem, making sure I get the right root, and not the wrong one.

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In other news I tried some Saw Palmetto berries today. First one got spit out immediately. It's tastes like a cross between stinking blue cheese and vomit. Second one I was able to eat no problem, knowing what I was getting into. Not exactly tasty, AT ALL, but, if I was starving, I would eat it. Apparently they are full of MCTs and really good stuff.

Sorry, back on topic. No picture right now.

**Hilary** · 06-12-2022 02:00 AM

Gotcha.

It's huge.

Cleaned up.

It's not purple, although when I cut it up I found 2 small streaks of purple-ish. The yam can also be white, apparently. So basically, when I went back in that dense jungle, I found the two types of air potato growing intertwined. I found my vine of D. alata (the very edible variety) and could not connect it to the root. I found this root a couple of feet away with a stem that had been cut. Because the two types are growing together, it could technically belong to the other type. However, the other type typically does not make roots in Florida. And when it does, they are typically baseball sized. The alata's root is much bigger. This is a big root. However, it's technically still within size range of either species. It is probably alata. But it could be bulbifera. I did research bulbifera and what I read says that the aerial tubers (the bubils) are poisonous. However, the root (NOT bubil) can be eaten if boiled twice with a change of water. The alata can be eaten with 1 boiling. Neither can be eaten raw.

My plan? I peeled it and cut it up. I am boiling the crap out of it. I am going to change the water and boil a second time. After that, I will take a tiny tiny taste. If it is bitter, I will throw it out. If it is not, I might take a tiny small nibble. And then see what happens. I don't really plan on eating any more than a tiny nibble, even if nothing happens. This was mostly a practice run.

Regardless, I AM THRILLED I got this sucker. I think I will be better at it in the future and definitely get a solid ID.

Cleaning up on my way home.

**Hilary** · 06-17-2022 08:12 PM

**Hilary** · 06-19-2022 12:56 AM

We went hiking at Jonathan Dickinson State Park today. It was hot but very beautiful. We had a great time.

Recent controlled burn

Wildflowers EVERYWHERE

Wild blueberry

Kitching Creek. We used to swim in this little river, but not at this spot.

**Hilary** · 06-25-2022 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Hilary

It's not purple, although when I cut it up I found 2 small streaks of purple-ish. The yam can also be white, apparently. So basically, when I went back in that dense jungle, I found the two types of air potato growing intertwined. I found my vine of D. alata (the very edible variety) and could not connect it to the root. I found this root a couple of feet away with a stem that had been cut. Because the two types are growing together, it could technically belong to the other type. However, the other type typically does not make roots in Florida. And when it does, they are typically baseball sized. The alata's root is much bigger. This is a big root. However, it's technically still within size range of either species. It is probably alata. But it could be bulbifera. I did research bulbifera and what I read says that the aerial tubers (the bubils) are poisonous. However, the root (NOT bubil) can be eaten if boiled twice with a change of water. The alata can be eaten with 1 boiling. Neither can be eaten raw.

My plan? I peeled it and cut it up. I am boiling the crap out of it. I am going to change the water and boil a second time. After that, I will take a tiny tiny taste. If it is bitter, I will throw it out. If it is not, I might take a tiny small nibble. And then see what happens. I don't really plan on eating any more than a tiny nibble, even if nothing happens. This was mostly a practice run.

Regardless, I AM THRILLED I got this sucker. I think I will be better at it in the future and definitely get a solid ID.

After some more hunting, I have finally found Dioscorea alata (Winged Yam / Purple Yam / Ube). There is no confusion now. The two are completely different and I see that now. So glad I found it. These are very safe edible tubers. I found a nice patch of them. I just took a couple small ones because I didn't have my shovel with me yesterday, and because I didn't want to harm the patch too much.

Leaves are very different looking.

Stem is square, as it's supposed to be. Tinged purple.

Root.

Very purple!

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Like rubies.

Passionflower. I found some Maypops on the vine, but they are not quite ready.